Answer Key Quiz #3
Answers
1. In reality, it is much more likely that the family dog will attack the fox! Foxes do not see cats/dogs as prey and unless cornered by them or defending their den, foxes will run from the barking and the claws.
Do you know ... Red Foxes
* stay warm by wrapping themselves in their bushy tails
* live 2 - 5 years in the wild
* the tip of their tail is always white
* their homes are called dens
* both mother and father take care of kits ... they live together up to
7 months
* are VERY playful
2. Do you know ... Raccoons
* in a group, they are called a nursery
* have amazing dexterity!
* like to rub their food in water before eating
* are omnivores
* The English word raccoon comes from the Powhatan word aroughcun meaning
"animal that scratches with it's hands."
* The black masking by the eyes helps them to see at night, when they
are most active.
3.Newborns learn very quickly. They can stand within 20 minutes of being born, walk at one hour and run in 24 hours. When new mothers leave to look for food, the fawns will lay flat on the ground, their spots helping with their camouflage.
Do you know .... Whitetail Deer
* live on average of 5 years in the wild
* can run up to 40 mph
* Do not hibernate .. often take shelter in cold weather under pine trees.
* Have a very diverse diet ... up to 600 different types of plants. Often
eating up to 8 pounds of food a day.
* Shed antlers in the winter. The sheds are rarely found in the wild as
rodents and small critters gnaw on them for calcium.
* Are good swimmers
4. It is the stress of confrontation that brings about this totally involuntary response that looks very much like rigor mortis. This shock reaction can last up to 4 hours. Tips from wildlife experts when coming across an opossum which looks as if it has died: Do not bury it or place it in a trash container. If found in the middle of the road, gently move it to the side of the road. For it's sake, always assume it will wake up!
Do you know ... Opossums
* are the only marsupial found north of Mexico
* Just like kangaroos, their babies are called joeys.
* Should be welcomed backyard visitors. Will eat up to 5000 ticks per
season... helping reduce the spread of Lyme disease
* Are immune to most snake venoms
* Rarely contract rabies.
* Though they can use their tails to move around trees, they can not hang
from them for very long.
5.Through testing, scientist have found the corvid family, which includes crows, ravens, rooks and jays, to be capable of problem solving, tool making, conceptualize future events, remember human faces. They are considered second to humans in intelligence, surpassing great apes in some instances.
Do you know ... Crows
* Their brain to body ratio similar to great apes, dolphins and whales
* Make their identifiable CAW sound, plus a wide variety of sounds but
you rarely hear a bird "song" from them
* Are often seen chasing larger birds, often raptors, away from their
territory.
* Crows ... very social birds. Ravens ... usually solitary or in pairs.
* Crows sleep in communal roosts in winter to keep warm .... could be
hundreds of birds in such roosts.
* Telling the difference by size: Crows 18" long ... Ravens 25"
6. Alligators are found in much of the southeastern United States, numbering 3,000,000 or more. Crocs are found only in the southern tip of Florida with a population of about 2000.
Do you know ... alligators versus crocodiles
* Alligators ... 14 feet long. Crocs ... 19 feet long.
* Alligators ... fresh water. Crocs ... salt water.
* Alligators ... wide, U Shaped face. Crocs ... pointed, V Shaped face.
* Life spans in the wild: Alligators ... 30 - 50 years. Crocs ... 70 -
100 years
* Attacks on humans rare by either one ... 1 attack every three years
7. While the words "bison" and "buffalo" are used here interchangeably, in North America we have only BISON. Actually, the scientific name is Bison bison bison. Buffalo species can be found in Africa and Asia.
Do you know ... bison
* Can run up to 30 mph and vertical jump 6 feet.
* Largest land animal native to North America
* Once numbered 30 million when Europeans settlers arrived
* Beginning of 20th century ... only a few hundred remained.
* Of the 500,000 bison today, only 1.6% have pure bison genes. The remaining
are bison/cattle hybrids
* Yellowstone National Park is the only place where bison have lived continually
since prehistoric times.
Timeline of the American Bison:
www.fws.gov/bisonrange/timeline.htm
8. Research into prairie dog "calls" have shown scientists that, with prairie dogs living in large social groups, the need for communication among them all is critically important. It is not only about survival, though. Just like humans, they seem to have developed different languages, unique to individual colonies!
Do you know ... Prairie Dogs
* They were once the most abundant mammal in North America
* Over the last 150 years, prairie dog populations have decreased by 95%
* Family groups are known as coteries ... an adult male, females and their
young.
* Females mate just once a year .. and are fertile for only one hour.
* They are known as a keystone species for grasslands which means entire
ecosystems rely on them for survival
9. Yes, they can fly ... up to 55 mph for short bursts! Sleeping in trees keep them up and away from predators. They will actually roost in groups and will call out to each other to signal it's time to hit the ground!
10. This effect is not unique to Blue Jays. Blue birds (and blue butterflies!) are not really blue. They do not have any blue pigment at all. If you come across a Blue Jay feather, try backlighting it. Without direct light, the blue is no longer reflected and the feather will look it's true brown color.
11. Other fun moose facts:
* Can move each eye independently
* Can run at 35 mph
* Often gives birth to twins
* Can store 100 pounds of food in the stomachs
12. Fireflies will not migrate to new neighborhood. When
habitats are destroyed, they will simply disappear. Fireflies (actually
they are beetles!) are the most efficient light source in the world. Nothing
is given off as heat!
13. The mountain lion, native to North America, indeed goes by several
names-puma, cougar, catamount, and panther-and is a powerful and feared
predator. There are actually 40 names for these beautiful animals. ...
more than any other animal.
Their scientific name is Puma concolor, meaning "lion of one color."
The reason for these numerous tags has to do with their wide range of
habitat. They have been seen by so many people through their history that
they were given names in hundreds of languages. Cougar and mountain lion
are currently the most commonly used.
14. Fun facts:
* Charles Darwin studied earthworms for 39 years
* 180 species found in North America, but few are native species
* If they dry out, they will die
* Breath thru their skin
15. Top Speeds ...
Mountain Lion: 50 mph
Moose: 35 mph
Pronghorn: 55 mph
Bison: 40 mph
By comparison. African cheetahs can reach speeds of over 60 mph but only
for very short distances. Pronghorns, on the other hand, can run for miles.
16. They are burrowing animals and as such, need the ground for survival. Some can survive a whole year with no food at all. Being arachnids, they have no need for sunshine.
17. They fly their migration routes ... alone! Using the same routes they know and sometimes traveling up 23 miles a day, many will winter in Central America and move back into Northern areas as early as February.
18. As of 2018 ... the most popular purebred breed is the Lab! .. since 1991. Previously it was the cocker spaniel.
19. Native to North America, these are the smallest bears found on the continent. Weighing roughly 350 pounds, these are omnivores, eating berries, nuts, fish and mammals. Their fur can be black, brown or cinnamon.
20. Luna moths are large silk moths having a four and a half inch wingspan and are quite a sight with their soft green coloring! It is rare to see them in flight as they only live 7 - 10 days as adults.